A New Year's Serve

[10splayer]

Let's time-travel through the decades. When do these guys start turning their shoulders, hips and foot?

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_backhand/mac_backhand.html?MacBHShortCourtLevelRear.mov

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/golden_legends/donbudge/donbudge_sa.html?DBBHRear.mov

I'm not saying there aren't times to turn right away.

Do it every time though? I know we Americans except for some of us love our drones (82 per cent approval rating right now), but when we apply dumbbombs to our tennis we move beyond self-annihilation.

Bad enough to have bad ideas leading to one's own destruction, but to destroy one's speed to a tennis ball?

That's really bad.

The short answer is right away in the case of McEnroe. The unit turn actually starts with a pivot move (usually about 45 degrees or so) which in turn allows the torso to start rotating..He does this immediately...he then works into a full coil.

As to your other point, (if i understand you correctly) you are implying that "turning" inhibits running, or getting to the ball sooner, than i would disagree..When moving laterally, turning=running...Vertical movement (forward/backward) is a bit different. In this case turning=sidestepping which is slower.

[bottle]

De-Bunking Unit Turn

Let's time-travel through the decades. When do these guys start turning their shoulders, hips and foot?

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_backhand/mac_backhand.html?MacBHShortCourtLevelRear.mov

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/golden_legends/donbudge/donbudge_sa.html?DBBHRear.mov

I'm not saying there aren't times to turn right away.

Do it every time though? I know we Americans except for some of us love our drones (82 per cent approval rating right now), but when we apply dumbbombs to our tennis we move beyond self-annihilation.

Bad enough to have bad ideas leading to one's own destruction, but to destroy one's speed to a tennis ball?

That's really bad.

[bottle]

ESPN Magazine Article on Overhauls in Sport

This long article specifically examines the three overhauls Tiger Woods has made of his golf swing, two of them when he was the top ranked golfer in the world.

The author-- and this is his right-- is stronger in presenting counterpoint than in developing the philosophy that has led Tiger to make his changes, although analysis of these changes provides the article's nub.

Statistics show, the article asserts, that when a top athlete makes major changes to his game, he soon fades from public sight.

Someone is quoted as saying, "Your God-given stroke is the best one you have."

So there is great advantage to not being a top athlete. But if, for instance, a person in later life is able to master McEnroe-like continental drive on the backhand side, but he still maintains communication with his first forehand-- the eastern gripped one he had as a teenager before he added an overhand loop-- he might revert to it as useful combination.

Changing from continental grip to eastern as one goes into one's forehand is small potatoes.

I plan however to develop continental forehands as well.

One might term this whole process "connecting the dots within a self-referential system."

[bottle]

See "My Thoughts on the McEnroe Backhand"

I'm going right now where there's the most conversation.

[bottle]

A Shocking Revelation

But when I finally played, after my two-month doctor-prescribed lay-off, it was the invented shot based on a good golf swing that worked better.

Not that this is good scientific observation since the shot that worked was the one I grooved somewhat in two backboard sessions.

In any case, this shot also is hit off of a McEnforian underhanded backswing.

[bottle]

McEnroe Forehand: A Clean Sweep

A slight drop of straight arm and racket

Shoulders

Shoulders and hips and legs

Shoulders

Arm completes stroke as an afterthought.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_forehand/mac_forehand.html?MacFHCenterSide1.mov

[bottle]

So What Mistakes Have I Been Making Recently?

Craig B. Mello, Nobel Laureate in Medicine: "You're either wrong or you're partially right."

Partially right has been the idea that the racket backswings slightly down and up in a John McEnroe patterned forehand.

Wrong is the notion that this backswing is severely to the inside.

Saturnalian ring theory, creeping over from backhand, says to use backswing to create the separation you want.

Then, with arm pretty straight (but not completely) and wrist straight too but relaxed, not locked, you can cue the ball anywhere you want.

How? Through the application of Dry Bones Theory (kinetic chain)? If you insist. But how's this for interesting sequence: Shoulders, spiraling up hips beneath swinging shoulders, more shoulders?

Very different, that, from a forehand in which the shoulders are supposed to stop so that the arm will take off.

The arm does take off sometimes but then there are the lead elbow shots.

Perhaps we don't hear the expression "lead elbow" often enough. Or "arm taking a solo." Or "non-transfer of energy as you start the stroke with your arm all over again."

Think of making contact precisely when both shoulders and rising hips are in full crank.

But one can get bored with anything, especially if one is a dull person. Time then to stay down and Hoganize the swing.

Putting slight play in the arm and wrist equals three pinches of allspice. Think of identical backswing and foreswing. What would one get? Weak slice from golf.

Keep knees comfortably bent and send out twirling hips like Ben Hogan to modify the foregoing into an inside out swing.

[bottle]

Holdovers from Ross Perot

This is exactly true, as far as I am concerned. And you were right all along that John McEnroe is flipless though not clueless. And the four persons in the Forum poll who voted that M was a flipper were absolutely wrong. The zero persons who voted that M was flipless were one hundred per cent correct. That I was in the mistaken four is irrelevant since I have no credibility on holding a given point of view on anything for long.

Last night for instance we went to a huge surprise party in which teams of guests arrived at a certain house north of Detroit at 15-minute intervals so as to keep the surprise a-going. Worked like a charm. Later, the girl whose fiftieth birthday was being celebrated introduced me to somebody and asked if it were all right if she told the story of how I got my name Bottle.

"If I get something wrong," she said, "correct me, okay?"

"There's no right or wrong," I said. "Just make up a story."

And there were writers there of course since everybody is a writer. And I told again how to get an agent, i.e., go to Times Square and hit the literary agent named Nancy Kerrigan in the back of her knees with a Federfore.

The whole group except for me appeared to be a cult of former employes of EDS, a company owned and headed by Ross Perot, a man who ran for president here in America. He was a person who enforced a strict dress code and would fire anybody for anything at a moment's notice. He was a bit like Henry Ford, who used to send out agents to spy on his employes in their houses. If the agent looked in through a window and saw someone smoking, that person was fired the next day.

At least the members of this cult-- lifelong friends from working for Ross Perot-- weren't carrying Bushmasters.

All that said, I don't see why a person using the basic pattern of an M forehand couldn't once in a while bend his arm and wrist a bit to hit a different, more Tom Okkerish shot based on the speed hand in a Ben Hogan golf swing.

Steve Navarro, I believe, identified and presented a video in which M himself did it.

As for the Federfore you have presented here, maybe it is just the new increased size of all the videos on my computer, but this seems a good example of what Geoffrey Williams says about snapping everything back and then snapping everything forward.

Note also how M always extends his legs on his ground strokes (and volleys!) even for his most passive forehands. And how F, by contrast in the terrific video you present here, stays down.

[stotty]

Maximum feel from the hand could be what tennis is about, especially if it re-transforms one's hand into an extension of the brain.

I focus in this post only on bending wrist backward whether on backswing or foreswing.

And since a lot of more or less reputable people think that your wrist should have give in it at contact, you probably should pay attention.

Not that I am one of those people. I only think your wrist should give backward at contact sometimes.

Now Roger Federer, possessor of entirely violent flip-- well, I remember seeing some Tennis Player video where his wrist moved slowly backward at the beginning of his forehand.

That means he was mitigating his flip, i.e., was subtracting from his considerable range of sudden wrist layback ahead of time.

In my version of Ziegenfuss-- small c-loop followed by slow feeling extension of arm FORWARD combined simultaneously with slow laying back of wrist that may continue through contact-- a spring-don't-swing mechanism provides the power.

In my version of a sockdolager-- and yes tennis should be self-expression and entirely personal so why shouldn't I have my own names for things-- the racket stays in the slot.

I know men and women both who hit this shot with a huge wind-back around the body, but I have no interest whatsoever in that and will even sacrifice the privilege of hiding the racket directly behind myself.

Anyway, wrist can lay back gradually starting during the unit turn and continue for as long as you want, but perhaps the reason this shot works for me is that I started hitting it early sans professional instruction as a kid.

In a Federfore, I'll delay some wrist layback to put more into the final mix of twisting arm and wrist in the flip. But if this scheme will work with the more level takeback of my sockdolager, I'll apply for a more heavily topspun variation there.

Throughout these experiments-- and experiments are where I take my greatest pleasure in tennis-- I'll constantly fiddle with different combinations of wrist layback, will do stuff I haven't even conceived of yet but all with the purpose of putting my brain in my hand.

Violent flip...

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/pro_men/roger_federer_09/rf_forehand/rf_fh_arm_action/rf_fh_arm_action.html?RFFHCenterArmActionRear.mov

Flipless flip...

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/modern_legends/johnmcenroe/mac_forehand/mac_forehand.html?MacFHCenterSide1.mov

Remarkable that McEnroe is virtually flipless even when laying back for his biggest forehands...while Federer flips violently even when laying back even for his most passive forehands. Like 10splayer said, it's all in the grip. Nevertheless McEnroe must be at the most extreme end of the continuum at the flipless end...with Federer the most extreme at the flipping end.

[bottle]

How Fast The Wrist

Maximum feel from the hand could be what tennis is about, especially if it re-transforms one's hand into an extension of the brain.

I focus in this post only on bending wrist backward whether on backswing or foreswing.

And since a lot of more or less reputable people think that your wrist should have give in it at contact, you probably should pay attention.

Not that I am one of those people. I only think your wrist should give backward at contact sometimes.

Now Roger Federer, possessor of entirely violent flip-- well, I remember seeing some Tennis Player video where his wrist moved slowly backward at the beginning of his forehand.

That means he was mitigating his flip, i.e., was subtracting from his considerable range of sudden wrist layback ahead of time.

In my version of Ziegenfuss-- small c-loop followed by slow feeling extension of arm FORWARD combined simultaneously with slow laying back of wrist that may continue through contact-- a spring-don't-swing mechanism provides the power.

In my version of a sockdolager-- and yes tennis should be self-expression and entirely personal so why shouldn't I have my own names for things-- the racket stays in the slot.

I know men and women both who hit this shot with a huge wind-back around the body, but I have no interest whatsoever in that and will even sacrifice the privilege of hiding the racket directly behind myself.

Anyway, wrist can lay back gradually starting during the unit turn and continue for as long as you want, but perhaps the reason this shot works for me is that I started hitting it early sans professional instruction as a kid.

In a Federfore, I'll delay some wrist layback to put more into the final mix of twisting arm and wrist in the flip. But if this scheme will work with the more level takeback of my sockdolager, I'll apply for a more heavily topspun variation there.

Throughout these experiments-- and experiments are where I take my greatest pleasure in tennis-- I'll constantly fiddle with different combinations of wrist layback, will do stuff I haven't even conceived of yet but all with the purpose of putting my brain in my hand.

[bottle]

Straight-Arming a Ziegenfuss

If one is used to hitting Federfores or any other straight-armed forehands, why should one insist on always short-arming a Ziegenfuss, i.e., on hitting this special shot with structure that is double-bend.

Habit is the only reason I can think of, hailing from some earlier design concept arrived at long ago.

The main feature of a Ziegenfuss is that the arm goes out toward the ball in a feeling, non-propulsive way before the shot turns into Doug King's "spring don't swing," all body in other words.

If you deem that this method is also non-repulsive, esteemed reader, then why not gently extend from the elbow at the same time?

Arguments for this: 1) Twill be easy to hit the ball out front, and 2) Extending arm from the elbow always closes racket face a bit, and 3) A long sweep makes weight transfer easier to get just right.

[bottle]

Tennis for the Middle Class: Soothing the Flip

Flip is a good idea, maybe even essential for modern topspin.

But that doesn't mean one's flip has to be as violent as Roger Federer's.

Breaking flip into parts might be helpful: 1) layback of the wrist, 2) twisting the forearm.

There isn't a Jon Lovitz tennis rule somewhere that says you have to do both at the same time like Federer.

You certainly can if you want. But if you've decided, like me, that A) My flip shall not be as violent as Roger's and B) I want some optional flat, penetrating shots that carry only enough topspin for control, and while they shall not be flipless may come close to that.

You might then consider separating wrist layback and arm twist into sequential functions.

How? This is personal stuff. In my case my thinking is affected by injury, old age and dance lessons.

Dance lessons? Yes, I took them at nine years old (U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York) and at 72 years old (Grosse Pointe War Memorial, Michigan) with none in between.

If I'd taken some at 17, I would have become a better tennis player. Why am I sure? Because dance lessons teach balance and economy of motion. Also, they teach the man at least to return to the basic after the flamboyant, which then qualifies him to be flamboyant all over again.

Tai Chi also might work although the flamboyant is frowned upon there. But anything might work other than tennis if it teaches "economy of motion." Tennis itself certainly does teach that paramount lesson, but I know we all need to get out of tennis from time to time as out of ourselves.

When I was 17, my basic forehand had a level takeback. As I turn 73, the same thing has become true again.

Wrist goes back gradually. For a sweep shot, the arm then straightens passively from active agent the hips-- a good time to roll down the racket tip as well.

But now I want more topspin from the same basic shot. Although the backswing shall still be level, it won't be as long since I won't lay back the wrist a little at a time.

Neither shall I roll the racket tip down as hips straighten the arm. No, I'll simply lower and sweep toward the ball as if I'm wielding a Tolstoyan scythe.

Just before I get there, I'll do the full flip like Federer.

But wasn't I supposed to be arguing against the violence of that?

But I've done away with so much loop that I've bought extra time that may change the equation.

Will this plot work? How would I know when I can't play tennis for a month.

[bottle]

What Might Scapular Adduction Look Like in a Good Serve?

Good serves regardless of their form and vintage are characterized by a high elbow, by vertical or nearly vertical upper arm when arm is at its most twisted and cocked point.

How does the arm arrive in this position without pinching itself against the head, which would be very unhealthy.

In the following clip, the server's chest, at three keyboard clicks from where elbow reappears to the server's right, looks concave. Most interestingly, the upper arm goes blurry.

http://www.tennisplayer.net/members/strokearchive/golden_legends/donbudge/donbudge_sa.html?DB1stSFront.mov

Could it be that scapular adduction plus camera speed has caused that blurry look? And that scapular retraction occurred before that, with both phenomena hooked on leg extension?

If this is too much detail, simply say that chest muscles have just been involved in the throw?

[bottle]

Stir-Fry Ziegenfusses

Can't try the slanty loops of # 1418 right now due to calf strain, so don't know if they'll work.

I was thinking actually of Phillippino pool players, who unlike the rest of the world, put a bit of side-arm unto their cue technique.

Worth exploration in tennis, I dreamt. Might work. I certainly won't know till I try it, and I wouldn't take anybody's word for it. First, "anybody" probably wouldn't know who Valerie Ziegenfuss Bradshaw was. "Anybody," too, probably wouldn't have read her chapter on forehand in the old lace-characterized book TENNIS FOR WOMEN. And all in all, "anybody" has let me down a number of times. I shan't seek revenge though-- that would waste psychic energy.

If sideways stirring of the descending portion of a small c-loop (and Valerie's loop from photography in the book was bigger, I think) doesn't immediately reinforce-- effectively-- the stroke paths I want, I'll return to the basic, straight-up topspin of spring-don't-swing looped tinily at from directly behind.

Junior ball DTL won't flare out as much as I would like but ought to remain pretty accurate.

[bottle]

Time to Play with the Ziegenfuss

It's time to play around more with the Ziegenfuss, the goat's foot.

It's just a small forehand. I've got bigger ones. But if I'm going to hit Ziegenfusses, I'd like to see more delicacy and variation than one will ever find in the howitzers.

Hitting down the line, for instance. With either a Federfore or a sockdolager, the right-hander's ball always tails left-- very useful. But what about my friend in Virginia the cabinet-maker Greg Robinson, who could make the ball fade any time he wanted?

The structure of the Ziegenfuss is very simple, arm first then a spring-don't-swing. I've said before that double bend arm structure works best. And a small c-loop. Vertical was what I had in mind.

But why restrict oneself on either count? For loops, keep them small but make some cockeyed. For arm length, let final effect be the only determinant.

Or don't you think a slow approach shot down the line carrying a mixture of topspin and sidespin to make it bounce deep by the sideline and veer outward would be useful?

Listen, anyone has a perfect right to be bored with my progressions. They have their own progressions-- I understand that. Or no progressions.

Inside out Ziegenfusses for crosscourt or passing shots down the line: Skew the loop. Send it out then in as it curls down.

Outside in: Send the loop out as it curls down, then cross the ball on purpose to hit a slider (but combined with topspin).

Don't skew the loop at all for a shot down the middle. Use a small, vertical c-loop.

Then hit Federfores and sockdolagers and another Ziegenfuss.